Adjustment
by SaltyCandy
Summary: [HALT! ARES SPOILERS AHEAD] Trying to live in an entirely new surrounding is one thing, fighting other teams from the mainland is another, and living after the fact that your mother just passed away is a completely different matter. Inamori Asuto reflects. [One-shot. 951 words]


**A/N:** For the first time in my life, I'd be writing a fanfiction for an anime after just watching the first two episodes. And for the second time around, the first thing I'd be contributing to a new anime I just started watching is an angsty one-shot (just like in BnHA/MHA). Nice.

As you might have known, the Inazuma Eleven Ares no Tenbin anime just went out and I'm ecstatic as ever! If you haven't watched it then get your ass out of this story and do so because this is full of SPOILERS! And IF YOU ARE going to watch it then start with the Outer Codes (there's only 6 of them and each is 4-7 mins long), then Inazuma Eleven Reloaded (24 mins), and then Inazuma Eleven Ares no Tenbin episode 1 then episode 2 (these two are joined as a 1 hour special)! All of them are in YouTube (even subs).

Now, enough dawdling! Let's get on with the story!

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Inazuma Eleven/Go/Go 2: Chrono Stone/Go Galaxy/Ares no Tenbin! Phew… Well, that's a mouthful.

 **Original Length** : 951 words

* * *

 **= Adjustments =**

* * *

Inamori Asuto considers himself a resilient man.

No matter what happens, no matter how heavy a problem is, he moves forward with a smile on his face. Always trudging forth, always looking on tomorrow, always fighting.

And if not, he'll simply plaster a smile until he gets used to the situation enough for him to not be bothered about it anymore.

Asuto also adapts to a new surrounding easily, he's versatile like that. So when they went to Tokyo, it only took a few days before he becomes comfortable enough to feel at home (their unusual training schedule traveling all over town has surely helped them, the whole Inakuni Raimon team, on doing so).

Not to mention, living in Inazuma Town is fairly easy.

They have a nice manor to stay on and not to mention together, the views are pretty nice, and the neighbors are even more so. In fact, Asuto believes that he has nothing to complain about the matter.

The only problem they have to constantly think about though, is how will they be able to beat the current strongest team in Japan, Seishou Gakuen.

No session for strategies, no evaluation of their opponent's abilities, and no meetings about the upcoming match whatsoever. Asuto doesn't know if this is for the best but these _are_ the orders of their coach, and this _is_ the very first thing he asked them to do. It won't hurt taking a chance, doesn't it? Afterall, it _is_ a pretty good distraction.

They had the chance to meet the people in the town, get to see the other beautiful hidden places, and get to see how people in the city live their lives. It almost makes him feel like everything's fine, everything's okay. It almost gives him that illusion that there's nothing to worry about, that they're going to win their first match, that they're going to have a sponsor, that they're going to take back their soccer, that he's going to fulfill his promise to his mother.

But life always has a way to slap reality on your face, doesn't it?

Because not only did he realize that he was using this battle as a mere distraction to not think about his mother's demise, constantly telling himself that just like his teammates, his last family member will also be waiting for his return in the island, but he also can't keep his promise to that one person who matters to him the most.

They lost. With a mocking 9-point difference. Wearing the uniforms of the team they and all of Japan admires. In front of the nation.

Instantly, the words he's been drowning out for a whole week from his own schoolmates all materialized in a horrendous form.

 _'Country bumpkins.'_

 _'Trash.'_

 _'Idiots.'_

He spares a second looking at his teammates.

 _'Go back to your island!'_

 _'You're an embarrassment.'_

 _'You're making a fool out of yourselves.'_

Lastly to Norika, balling her fist for not being able to defend one shot.

 ** _'You can never be as great as Endou-san's team.'_**

He feels the weight on his chest, he feels the spiral on his stomach, he feels his weakening knees. He remembers his mother on her deathbed, he remembers her last words, he remembers his _promise_.

The promise he can no longer fulfill.

He feels a burning sensation on his eyes, a gush of pain threatening to escape. Yet again, he repressed it. He keeps it in his confined walls, clutching his chest with his hand as he did.

No. Not here. His teammates need him.

"What's up with those gloomy faces, everyone? Soccer definitely won't disappear."

What is he saying?! They lost. They can't play anymore…

"If we don't give up I'm sure a chance will come."

Where is he getting all this nonsense from?

"Until now, we've all been saved by soccer. We've overcome all sorts of hard times. That's why we can't let go of soccer. Someday we'll definitely take it back!"

Can they really? Is he convincing them or is he convincing himself?

"That's right! We've come all the way to Tokyo! Why don't we go sightseeing? From Tokyo's Sunshine Tower we can see the whole town!"

Another distraction. Another way to forget. That way, no one, including himself, will be thinking about what just happened.

"Amazing!"

"This is a view you'd never see back on the island!"

It's working.

"Tokyo really is amazing, huh?!"

They're getting distracted.

"So, this is the top of Tokyo…"

Top. Top of… _soccer_.

 _'I promise you, mom. I'll aim to be at the top of soccer.'_

Asuto's eyes begins to blur. A spur of emotions he couldn't contain any longer gathered to blind him, make him say things, the things he actually felt the whole time.

He sees his teammates take notice. He tells himself to stop. He _has_ to stop. They shouldn't know. They shouldn't see this side of him.

 _'Don't look at me!'_

Before he can, however, they begin crying too. Each projecting the same emotion, the same frustration, and the same regret of not being able to play soccer anymore. Instead of calming down, a waterfall of emotions ran instead, uncontrollably, in an unstoppable state he didn't know possible. Not a moment too soon, he was sobbing, sniffing, wailing. The feeling he was containing bursts out, taking him in a stir. His crying turns even louder. Turning to loud wails, getting in sync with the rest.

Suddenly, it's all okay. He doesn't know why but he's fine. He feels good. He feels better. A feeling so much different than mourning his mother alone. Seeing them all like that, feeling the same thing… maybe, he still do have some family left after all.

* * *

 **= Fin =**

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 **A/N:** MY INTERPRETATION OF ASUTO IN EP 1 and 2, MY PEOPLE! I'm sorry if it's so vague, I haven't got a feel of the characters yet. And I just wanna clear out for everyone who hates the idea how Asuto suddenly gets over his mother's death, he didn't. Ep 2 shows he's good at hiding his pain so much that he couldn't stop it from spilling when he couldn't take it anymore, which is because he's repressing it the whole time. He's a quite possibly shady MC and I love it!

In other words, I LOVE THIS TEAM AND ASUTO! EVERYONE WHO BASHES THEM, FIGHT ME!

Oh yeah, thanks for reading this! I hoped you watched the new anime 'coz I totally recommend it!


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